On 25 March, Russia's Defence Ministry reported 1,351 military deaths in Ukraine, a number it has not updated since. However, Ukrainian and Western military experts estimate Russia's losses to be significantly higher, with around 30,000 killed, according to Ukraine, and approximately 15,000, as estimated by the UK government.
President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing people over 40 to enlist in the armed forces, paving the way for more civilian experts to be recruited for the Ukraine conflict. This move is presented as a way to recruit more technical specialists, with the new law stating that specialists become proficient in operating high-precision weapons by the age of 40-45.
Ukraine's army, with an estimated 200,000 active troops and 900,000 reservists, has been boosted through mass mobilisation since Russia's invasion on 24 February. In contrast, Russia has more than 400,000 professional 'contract' soldiers in its 900,000-strong active armed forces, and can mobilise about two million reservists, according to military analysts.
Under its current martial law, Ukraine forbids men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country, demanding that they stay and fight. This has led to women, children, and the elderly forming the vast majority of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries.
Many countries have military conscription, with varying rules. The UK and US, for example, have fully professional armies, as well as reservists who can be called up in an emergency. Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has stated that conscripts drafted into the military this spring will not be sent to any hotspots.
